The Book of Confessions - The Presbyterian Leader

A. God by his providence permitted some of the angels, willfully and irrecoverably, to
fall into sin and damnation, (923) limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his own
glory; (924) and established the rest in holiness and happiness; (925) employing them all, at his
pleasure, in the administrations of his power, mercy, and justice. (926)
Q. 20. What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was
created?
A. The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created was, the
placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the
earth, (927) putting the creatures under his dominion, (928) ordaining marriage for his
help, (929) affording him communion with himself, (930) and instituting the Sabbath; (931)
entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual
obedience, (932) of which the tree of life was a pledge; and forbidding to eat of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death. (933)
Q. 21. Did man continue in that estate wherein God at first created him?
A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, through the
temptation of Satan, transgressed the commandment of God, in eating the forbidden fruit, and
thereby fell from the estate of innocency wherein they were created. (934)
Q. 22. Did all mankind fall in that first transgression?
A. The covenant being made with Adam, as a public person, not for himself only, but
for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, (935) sinned in him,
and fell with him in that first transgression. (936)
Q. 23. Into what estate did the Fall bring mankind?
A. The Fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery. (937)
Q. 24. What is sin?
A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, any law of God, given as a
rule to the reasonable creature. (938)
Q. 25. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?
A. The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consisteth in the guilt of Adam's
first sin, (939) the want of that righteousness wherein he was created, and the corruption of his
nature, whereby he is utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite unto all that is spiritually
good, and wholly inclined to all evil, and that continually; (940) which is commonly called
original sin, and from which do proceed all actual transgressions. (941)
Copyright © 1996 by the Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (USA)